"I have more respect for the fellow with a single idea who gets there than for the fellow with a thousand ideas who does nothing." -- Thomas Alva Edison. Did you know Thomas Alva Edison held more than 1,000 patents for his inventions? This is the largest number of patents held by any one person. Read a book about Alva.

Photo: Thomas Alva Edison.

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Thomas Alva Edison: Young Inventor UNDER $5.00

This book is featured in Alva's Books. At age nine, Thomas Alva Edison sold vegetables in nearby towns. At age twelve, he sold goods to passengers on a train from Port Huron to Detroit. Find out more about the childhood of one of the world's greatest inventors, Thomas Alva Edison. And it's UNDER $5.00.

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This Week's Trivia Question:
Question: When did Thomas Alva Edison invent the light bulb (month, day, year)?

Photo: Thomas Alva Edison and the light bulb.

Last Week's Trivia Question:
Question: How many voyages did Christopher Columbus make to the New World?
Answer: Four. Christopher Columbus made four voyages between 1492 and 1504. In 1492, he made his first voyage with three ships and 90 men, and he discovered the Americas. In 1493, he made his second voyage with 17 ships and more than 1,000 men, established a Spanish colony of Hispaniola, and discovered Guadeloupe, Puerto Rico, and Jamaica. In 1498, he made his third voyage with six ships, and he discovered Trinidad, South America, and the mouth of the Orinoco River. In 1502, he made his fourth voyage with four ships and 135 men, and he discovered the coast of Central America, including Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama, and Martinique. Read a book about Christopher.

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Did you know there were celebrations in 1929 and 1979 for the 50th and 100th Anniversaries of Thomas Alva Edison's invention of the light bulb?

Yes, in 1929, the Greenfield Village in Michigan, held a celebration called the Golden Jubilee of Light. Models were built of the homes where Alva had lived, laboratories where Alva had worked, and the Grand Trunk Railroad where Alva had worked as a boy. Alva participated in the festivities, displayed his ability to send high speed telegraphs, and recreated the experiment which tested the light bulb. In 1979, the Centennial of Light was a year long celebration of the 100th Anniversary of the electric light bulb. Read a book about Alva.

Photo: Thomas Edison at the 1929 Golden Jubilee recreates his light bulb experiment.

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Thomas Edison is my hero. I like him because he was very inquisitive as a young boy, and he continued to ask questions throughout his life. In fact, one of Edison's teachers told him that he asked too many questions. Luckily, that comment did not stop Edison from questioning the world around him. I also ask a lot of questions. And if anybody ever tells me I ask too many questions, I'll take that as a compliment. Read more about the times in which Alva lived.

Photo: Young Thomas Alva Edison.

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Q: Where was Thomas Edison born? (Colby K.)

A: Thomas Alva Edison was born in Milan, Ohio, on February 11, 1847, to Samuel and Nancy Edison. Today, his boyhood home is a museum called the Edison Birthplace Museum. At the Edison Birthplace Museum's web site you can learn the History of the Edisons, Milan, and Edison's home, read a list of Edison's inventions, take a Tour of the Birthplace Museum, visit the Museum Shop, and become a Member. Read a book about Alva.

Photo: Alva visiting his birthplace in Milan, Ohio.

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